I've never been a fan of Cake. I don't really get what it is that is clever about their music. Its all very shallow and repetitive. So when I saw that they had a new album coming out I thought it would be a good one to make fun of. To my surprise its not that bad and at times actually quite good. Has Cake redeemed themselves with this addition to their arsenal of albums?

The album starts with 'Federal Funding' which is a very "Cake like" song. The song builds upon itself and doesn't stick to the normal formula. It isn't until after 'Federal Funding' where the real gems start revealing themselves. The song 'What's Now is Now' actually has singing in it. Shocking I know. Its not too bad either, for Cake standards. It also contains melodies that make it truly interesting. 'Mustache Man' is a more funky song, with a driving bass beat and the typical up tempo trumpet section. The vocals on this song are also quite different than the norm. They are preformed interestingly, and with depth.
Not everything is good album the album though. It is still cake, and you still get the sense than this douche is trying to get a point across or be witty which doesn't work in the slightest. Songs do tend to feel as if they repeat too much at times. The chief offender of this would have to be 'Federal Funding'. I guess the repeating is just a part of the style of the music, but it doesn't excuse such an annoying and music padding tactic.
You could listen to much worse this year and I'm sure the Cake fans will love 'Showroom of Compassion'. It explores new ground but also manages to keep the Cake feel. They were unable to fix some of the problems from past releases but the good out weigh the bad and the album is pleasant to listen to.
'Showroom of Compassion' gets 3 Cake's out of 5
Track Listing
"Federal Funding" - 3:50
"Long Time" - 4:36
"Got to Move" - 3:40
"What's Now is Now" - 3:37
"Mustache Man (Wasted)" - 4:04
"Teenage Pregnancy" - 2:41
"Sick of You" - 3:18
"Easy to Crash" - 4:08
"Bound Away" - 3:25
"The Winter" - 4:06
"Italian Guy" - 3:11
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